Stepping Out

Readers thirsty for Rice’s newest book

Author to appear at Madison Theatre for her legions of fans

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The lost city of Atlantis is the newest mythical, sea-bound setting for author Anne Rice’s beloved Prince Lestat.

“Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” Rice’s 36th book (and her 14th in the vampire series and follow-up to her 2014’s “Prince Lestat”) will be released on November 29. On that day, Rice will be appearing at Madison Theatre in Rockville Centre, through the efforts of Turn of the Corkscrew Books & Wine, also located in Rockville Centre.

“I cannot say how thrilled we are to be hosting Anne Rice, and for her latest Lestat novel!” said bookstore co-owner Carol Hoenig. “Not only are we Anne’s very first event for “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” but we are the only one on Long Island who’s hosting her. She loves her fans and we are grateful that we can give them this opportunity to meet her.”

Rice is the author of more than 30 novels. Her first novel, “Interview with the Vampire, was published in 1976 and has gone on to become one of the best selling novels of all time. She continued her saga of the Vampire Lestat in a series of books, collectively known as The Vampire Chronicles, which have had both enormous mainstream and cult followings.

“Interview with the Vampire” was made into a movie in 1994, directed by Neil Jordan, and starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst and Antonio Banderas. Her novel “Feast of All Saints,” became a Showtime mini series in 2001 and is available now on DVD. John Wilder’s script for the mini series was a faithful adaptation of the novel.

Rice is also the author of “The Witching Hour,” “Servant of the Bones,” “Merrick,” “Blackwood Farm,” “Blood Canticle,” “Violin,” and “Cry to Heaven,” among others.

The 2014 “Prince Lestat” was the continuation of the Vampire Chronicles. With the old queen of the vampires, Akasha, long dead, the Undead are in chaos all over the world. Rice’s fabled Brat Prince, Lestat, is the only immortal known by name to all vampires young and old and many appeal to him to come out of his long exile and bring order as wanton destruction plagues revenants in city after city around the globe.

In “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis,” Rice gives a glimpse of utopia and power, uniting the ancient worlds and the legends of the Vampire Chronicles. In the novel, the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt battles a strange otherworldly form that has somehow taken possession of his undead body and soul.

It is through this spirit, previously considered dormant for thousands of vampire years and throughout the Vampire Chronicles, that we learn of the hypnotic tale of a great sea power of ancient times that was a mysterious heaven on earth, situated on a boundless continent. We find out how and why this force came to build and rule the great legendary empire of centuries ago that thrived in the Atlantic Ocean. And as we learn of the mighty, far-reaching powers and perfections of this lost kingdom of Atalantaya, the lost realms of Atlantis, we come to understand its secrets, and what led the vampire Lestat, indeed all the vampires, to reckon so many millennia later with the terrifying force of this ageless, all-powerful Atalantaya spirit.

Rice on Lestat and her favorite authors

Some years ago, Rice talked about writing a book based on the legends of Atlantis. It was, she said, to include immortals that have been on this planet since ancient Atlantis — and adding that they were not to be vampires. That version was never written. Stepping Out asked Rice what switched that also focus back to Lestat? 

“I was able to incorporate all of my Atlantis material, including my Atlantian immortals, in this new book as these new characters discover Lestat and his tribe, and come into contact with him,” Rice says. “I couldn’t get the novel done until I took this step. When I introduced Lestat and the vampires into the mix, it all caught fire.”

Rice adds that she needed go get the perspective of the vampires on the survivors of Atlantis, and that she loved offering their perspective on him. “ I don’t want to say more,” she says. “It might spoil the novel for someone. But seldom in my professional life has such a synthesis worked so well.”

 Some of Rice’s favorite authors include Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte and Ernest Hemmingway. Stepping Out also asked Rice who may have had the biggest influence on the way she writes now, and which of these three authors did she think would most enjoy reading her books.  

“Oh, wow,” she replied. “I’m not sure any of my favorite writers would enjoy my books … maybe Charlotte Bronte would. I hope so. Of the three I love so much, the biggest influence was Dickens for [his] sheer storytelling [and] for simply starting a book and writing it in chronological order, revealing a whole world to us through the eyes of a hero such as Pip in “Great Expectations” or David in “David Copperfield.” 

“I go back to Dickens all the time, to tap into that narrative voice, that narrative flow. I marvel at the genius and trust of the author of “The Old Curiosity Shop” as he takes us on a journey through the world with Little Nell.”

For those unable to attend the event,

Hoenig says you can call Turn of the Corkscrew Books & Wine to order the book, and Rice will sign it for those who order.

“We love doing our big events at Madison Theatre in Molloy,” says Hoenig, “and this one will be a winner, for sure!”